(BA) Genesis 24

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When Abraham is old, he sends his trusted servant on a mission to find a wife for Isaac. The servant travels to Abraham's native country and returns with Rebekah, who is then married to Isaac.

The text below is adapted from the ASV.

1 And Abraham was old, well on in years, and Yahweh had blessed Abraham in all things. 2 And Abraham said to his servant, the elder of his house, who ruled over all that he had, Put, please, your hand under my thigh, 3 and I will make you swear by Yahweh, the god of the sky, and the god of the land, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell. 4 But you shall go to my country, and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son Isaac.

5 And the servant said to him, Perhaps the woman will not be willing to follow me to this land. Should I bring your son back again to the land from which you came?

6 And Abraham said to him, Beware that you do not bring my son there again. 7 Yahweh, the god of the sky, who took me from my father's house, and from the land of my birth, and who spoke to me, and who swore to me, saying, To your seed I will give this land; he will send his angel before you, and you shall take a wife for my son from there. 8 And if the woman is not willing to follow you, then you shall be free from this oath of mine. Only do not bring my son back there. 9 And the servant put his hand under the thigh of Abraham his master, and swore to him concerning this matter.

10 And the servant took ten camels, of the camels of his master, and left, having all good things of his master's in his hand, and he arose, and went to Aram Naharaim, to the city of Nahor. 11 And he made the camels kneel down outside the city by the well of water at the time of evening, the time that women go out to draw water.

12 And he said, O Yahweh, god of my master Abraham, send me, please, success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham. 13 Here I stand by the fountain of water, and the daughters of the men of the city are coming out to draw water. 14 And let it be, that the young woman to whom I say, Let down your pitcher, please, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give your camels drink also; let her be the one that you have appointed for your servant Isaac. And thus I will know that you have shown kindness to my master. 15 And so it was, that before he had finished speaking, there came Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel the son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher on her shoulder. 16 And the young woman was very beautiful, a virgin, and no man had known her. And she went down to the fountain, and filled her pitcher, and came up.

17 And the servant ran to meet her, and said, Give me to drink, please, a little water from your pitcher.

18 And she said, Drink, my lord. And she hurried, and let down her pitcher on her hand, and gave him a drink. 19 And when she was finished giving him a drink, she said, I will draw for your camels also, until they have finished drinking. 20 And she hurried, and emptied her pitcher into the trough, and ran back to the well to draw, and drew for all his camels. 21 And the man looked at her, holding his peace, to see whether Yahweh had made his journey prosperous or not. 22 And then, when the camels finished drinking, the man took a golden ring weighing half a shekel, and two bracelets for her hands weighing ten shekels of gold, 23 and said, Whose daughter are you? Tell me, please. Is there room in your father's house for us to stay?

24 And she said to him, I am the daughter of Bethuel the son of Milcah, whom she bore to Nahor. 25 She said also to him, We have both straw and feed enough, and room to stay.

26 And the man bowed his head and worshipped Yahweh. 27 And he said, Blessed be Yahweh, the god of my master Abraham, who has not forsaken his kindness and loyalty to my master. As for me, Yahweh has led me on the way to the house of my master's brothers.

28 And the young woman ran, and told her mother's house about these things. 29 And Rebekah had a brother, and his name was Laban. And Laban ran out to the man, to the fountain. 30 And when he saw the ring, and the bracelets on his sister's hands, and when he heard the words of Rebekah his sister, saying, Thus spoke the man to me, that he came to the man, and there he was, standing by the camels at the fountain.

31 And he said, Come in, you blessed of Yahweh, why are standing outside? For I have prepared the house, and room for the camels. 32 And the man came to the house, and he untied the camels, and he gave straw and feed for the camels, and water to wash his feet, and the feet of the men who were with him. 33 And there was food set before him to eat, but he said, I will not eat, until I have told my errand.

And he said, Speak on.

34 And he said, I am Abraham's servant. 35 And Yahweh has blessed my master greatly, and he has become great. And he has given him flocks and herds, and silver and gold, and male and female servants, and camels and asses. 36 And Sarah my master's wife bore a son to my master when she was old, and to him he has given all he has. 37 And my master made me swear, saying, You shall not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, in whose land I dwell, 38 but you shall go to my father's house, and to my relatives, and take a wife for my son. 39 And I said to my master, Perhaps the woman will not follow me. 40 And he said to me, Yahweh, before whom I walk, will send his angel with you, and make your journey successful, and you shall take a wife for my son from my relatives, and from my father's house. 41 Then you will be free of my oath, when you come to my relatives, and if they do not give her to you, you will be free of my oath. 42 And I came today to the fountain, and said, O Yahweh, the god of my master Abraham, if now you make my journey successful, 43 here I stand, by the fountain of water. And let it be, that the young woman who comes out to draw, to whom I shall say, Give me, please, a little water from your pitcher to drink; 44 and she says to me, Drink, and I will also draw for your camels, let her be the woman whom Yahweh has chosen for my master's son. 45 And before I had finished speaking in my heart, there came Rebekah with her pitcher on her shoulder, and she went down to the fountain, and drew. And I said to her, Let me drink, please. 46 And she hurried, and let down her pitcher from her shoulder, and said, Drink, and I will give your camels a drink also. 47 And I asked her, and said, Whose daughter are you? And she said, The daughter of Bethuel, Nahor's son, whom Milcah bore to him. And I put the ring on her nose, and the bracelets on her hands. 48 And I bowed my head, and worshipped Yahweh, and blessed Yahweh, the god of my master Abraham, who had led me on the right path to take my master's brother's daughter for his son. 49 And now if you will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me. And if not, tell me, so that I may return to the right hand, or to the left.

50 Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, This thing comes from Yahweh. We cannot speak to you good or bad. 51 Here is Rebekah before you, take her and go, and let her be your master's son's wife, as Yahweh has spoken. 52 And when Abraham's servant heard their words, he bowed himself down to the earth to Yahweh. 53 And the servant brought out jewels of silver and jewels of gold, and clothing, and gave them to Rebekah; and he also gave to her and her brother precious things. 54 And they ate and drank, he and the men who were with him, and stayed all night.

And they rose up in the morning, and he said, Send me away to my master. 55 And her brother and her mother said, Let the young woman stay with us at least ten days, and then she will go.

56 And he said, Do not delay me, seeing that Yahweh has made my journey successful. Send me away to go to my master.

57 And they said, We will call the young woman and ask her herself.

58 And they called Rebekah, and said to her, Will you go with this man?

And she said, I will go.

59 And they sent away Rebekah their sister, and her nurse, and Abraham's servant, and his men. 60 And they blessed Rebekah, and said to her, Our sister, become thousands of ten thousands, and let your seed possess the gate of their enemies.

61 And Rebekah arose, and her young women, and they rode on the camels, and followed the man, and the servant took Rebekah, and went his way. 62 And Isaac came from the way of Beer Lahai Roi, for he dwelt in the land of the Negev. 63 And Isaac went out to meditate in the field at dusk, and he lifted up his eyes, and saw, and there were camels coming. 64 And Rebekah lifted up her eyes, and when she saw Isaac, she lit off the camel. 65 And she said to the servant, Who is the man walking in the field to meet us?

And the servant said, It is my master. And she took the veil and covered herself. 66 And the servant told Isaac all the things he had done. 67 And Isaac brought her into his mother Sarah's tent, and took Rebekah, and she became his wife, and he loved her. And Isaac was comforted after his mother's death.

(24:10) "having all good things of his master's in his hand". Or, according to the ASV notes, "for all the goods of his master were in his hand".

(24:22) "shekel". A weight of about eleven grams.

ASV. The American Standard Version, as printed in 1901 by Thomas Nelson and Sons.

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